


Surprising Alley Finds

by InsanitysxCreation



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Adorable, Cuddling, Established Relationship, M/M, domestic setting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-07
Updated: 2014-11-07
Packaged: 2018-02-24 10:45:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2578742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InsanitysxCreation/pseuds/InsanitysxCreation
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A cuddly evening with Dwalin and Nori, with a hairy surprise.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Surprising Alley Finds

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Blue_Sparkle](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blue_Sparkle/gifts).



> This was originally going to be a tiny short for asparklethatisblue (Blue_Sparkle) on tumblr, but it wanted to just keep going and I really like it, so I'm posting it here. :) There are never enough Nwalin cuddles.
> 
> I do not own or make money off any of these characters. They belong to the wonderful J.R.R. Tolkien, who I'm sure never dreamed his characters would be treated like this.
> 
> PLEASE DO NOT REPOST THIS STORY. PLAGIARISM IS ILLEGAL. Archive of Our Own is the only site I have posted this on; no other site has my permission to host this story. If you see any of my works on another site PLEASE CONTACT ME.  
> 

Dwalin was reclining by the fire, cleaning his axes, when he heard the slightest creak from the locked kitchen window. His grip tightened on Keeper, but relaxed when Nori stepped into view, a grin on his face. Dwalin smiled back, but noticed Nori was walking oddly, as if trying to keep his head perfectly still. He put his axe down, the smile fading to a concerned frown.

"Are you alright?"

"What? Oh, yes, fine, though I stink dreadfully, really alleys are such nasty places. I think I'll go bathe and then we can do that thing you like so much." He leered with a wiggle of his eyebrows. The expression was ruined when he winced slightly, stilling his head after a small movement. Anyone else might not have noticed it, but Dwalin knew that face better than his own. He spent as much time as he could every day looking at it, so he knew all of Nori's tells.

Dwalin heaved up to his feet, approaching Nori carefully. "You're hurt."

Nori held up his hands, a tight grin stretching his lips, his head held with more poise than Dwalin had seen even Thorin use. "No, I'm not, actually. Okay, my hands are a little bruised, but dwarf skulls are hard so-"

Nori's hair went, "mew."

Both dwarves froze. Dwalin with an expression of shock and confusion, Nori with an expression of barely concealed panic.

"Did...your hair just meow?" Dwalin asked. Maybe one of the logs he'd tossed on the fire had a fungus...

"No, of cours-"

"Meeoow."

Nori closed his eyes for a moment in defeat as a little brown head with a thick black stripe down the skull wiggled out of the top triangle of Nori's hair. Dwalin stared at the little creature in shock. It stared back, ears twitching.

"Nori?"

"Yes, Dwalin?"

"There's a cat in your hair."

"Really, I hadn't noticed."

"Why is there a cat in your hair?"

Nori sighed and reached up, his hand breaking the stare-off between the bald warrior and the tiny cat. He carefully untangled the kitten from his hair, cradling it in his arms. “Because some assholes were kicking this kitten in an alleyway down by Quartz and I just… I couldn’t let them…” His throat worked and Dwalin pulled him and the scruffy kitten in close. It stretched to sniff the hand closest to it, giving him a good view of the thick black stripe that ran from its forehead to its tail, smaller black markings amongst the brown on its sides.

“It-“

“She,” Nori interrupted quietly, stroking her back. Dwalin nodded, reaching out a finger.

“She’s beautiful.” He smiled when the kitten rubbed her face against his thick finger. “Do you want to keep her?”

Nori stilled, bringing Dwalin’s eyes up. Strangely, Nori looked shocked, as if that possibility hadn’t even occurred to him. “What… Why would… I don’t…” The thief was at a loss for words. Dwalin rubbed the hand on Nori’s back soothingly up and down, smiling when Nori unconsciously relaxed into the touch.

“We could use a mouser,” Dwalin said, as if it didn’t really matter much to him. His finger stroked down the kitten’s back. “And I do like cats. She’d be welcomed here, though I’m sure Ori would be delighted with her if you don’t think she’d be a good fit for us.”

“I… I think I’d like to keep her,” Nori said very quietly, carefully hugging the small cat to his chest. Dwalin nodded and smiled, gently nudging Nori into the living room until they could sit on the couch together. The kitten immediately squirmed out of Nori’s hold and started climbing him, reaching up to bat at his beard.

“Do you have any name ideas?” An idea occurred to Dwalin and he stared suspiciously at Nori’s peaked hair. “The rest of the litter isn’t up there, is it?”

For the first time that evening, Nori genuinely smiled and laughed. “No, just this one. I didn’t think I’d get to keep her, so I didn’t think of any names.” He tucked himself against Dwalin’s side, letting the kitten waddle her way into Dwalin’s lap.

“What were you going to do with her?” he asked, dragging a thin strip of leather for the kitten to chase.

“Take her to Ori and Dori in the morning. I already had the vet check her out, to make sure she wasn’t seriously injured or sick. I figured they’d like her. Ori always liked animals, and Dori feeds the stray cats in his area, so I figured he wouldn’t mind. If not, some nob would probably buy her.

“I’m glad she’ll get to stay with us, though,” he said after a moment of silence. “She reminds me of you.” Dwalin looked at him, surprised; going by the blush on Nori’s cheeks, he hadn’t meant to let that slip. “The markings, I mean. The stripe reminds me of that ridiculous mohawk you used to sport, and her sides remind me of your tattoos.” He reached up and lightly traced the markings on the side of Dwalin’s head. He didn’t need to look at them to know their shape and positioning, so familiar was he with them. Dwalin pressed a kiss to the side of Nori’s head, his big hand resting on the now dozing kitten.

 “ _Mimid-a’zagh_ ,” he said softly. Nori smiled, reaching out to stoke the kitten’s belly. She purred, the sound amazingly loud for such a small creature.

“She is a little warrior. It’s a good name.” Nori tugged Dwalin’s arm closer around him, resting his head on his broad shoulder, eyes going between Dwalin’s face and the kitten on his lap. Dwalin stroked Nori’s hair, tipping his head back to kiss him. It started soft and sweet, and while it gained a little heat when Nori tugged his bottom lip with his teeth, it stayed slow and smoldering. They parted and Nori relaxed against Dwalin again.

The living room was warm, the fire crackling and casting flickering light. Mimid-a’zagh’s purr faded as she slept. Soon, Nori’s eyes drooped and closed, Dwalin following him into sleep soon after.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> If you didn't guess, Mimid-a’zagh is how I think "little warrior" translates. I'll replace it once I get an answer from an expert. :p please correct me if you know the proper translation. She is based on a Bengal-tabby mix.
> 
> I wondered just how big of an object you could hide in that huge hair, and then I got the adorable image of Nori with kittens in his hair. :3
> 
> This is unbeta'd, so let me know if you spot any glaring errors.
> 
> Comments and constructive criticisms welcome!!


End file.
